A. Field Of The Art
The present invention relates generally to a fishing line slip sinker and more particularly to a fishing line slip sinker having a weighted portion embedded in a synthetic polymer or plastic material and having improved quick attachment/detachment means for connecting the sinker to a fishing line.
B. Description Of The Prior Art
There are, of course, a variety of sinkers or weights which are utilized by fishermen for the purpose of providing weight to a fishing line to cause the bait or lure to sink to or toward the bottom. Fishing line sinkers are generally constructed of lead or some other heavy material and are connected to the fishing line in various ways. A common method of connecting a fixed line lead sinker to a fishing line is via a "split sinker" method in which the lead body includes a slit which is simply pinched around the fishing line to retain the same to the fishing line in a fixed position. Another common fixed line sinker is a rubber core sinker in which the lead weight portion includes a rubber insert for retaining the sinker to the line.
In contrast to the fixed line sinkers described above, a further category of sinkers is a so-called slip sinker in which the fishing line is allowed to slip through a hole or eyelet provided in the sinker. A slip sinker structure allows the fish to pull the fishing line through the sinker, without resistance, during a strike, while still performing its principal function of causing the bait or lure to sink toward the bottom.
A number of slip sinker designs currently exist. These include, among others, clam shell, pyramid, bell type and walking sinkers. Most of these are provided with a hole or eyelet through which the fishing line extends. Thus, in order to attach the sinker to or detach the sinker from a line having a hook or lure connected thereto, the line must first be cut, after which the line is threaded through the eyelet of the sinker and then retied to the swivel or the lure.
Other mechanisms also exist for connecting the fishing line to a slip sinker. One of these mechanisms is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,498 dated Oct. 25, 1966 and issued to Decker. This patent discloses a piece of stiff frangible material which is connected with a weight element and which includes an eyelet with a means to facilitate attaching the sinker to and detaching the sinker from a fishing line without having to cut and retie the line. Another mechanism for connecting a slip sinker to a fishing line is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,439 dated Apr. 23, 1974 and issued to Krengel et al. This mechanism includes a loop portion connected to a weight element and having an eye and a pliable snap by which the fishing line can be connected to the eye.
Although slip sinkers both with and without quick attachment/detachment mechanisms currently exist and have been extensively used by fishermen, there is a continued need for an improved slip sinker design and in particular a need for a slip sinker with improved means for joining the weight element with a line connecting mechanism and an improved quick attachment/detachment means for connecting the sinker to and removing the sinker from the fishing line without cutting and retying the line to the swivel or the lure.